Traditional music composer Dónal Lunny and storyteller Eugene McCabe were among the twelve new members yesterday elected to Aosdána.
Aosdána is the affiliation of creative artists in Ireland and the new members bring total membership to 220.
They were elected following a ballot at this year's General Assembly. There were 27 nominations for the twelve available places for new members.
Membership of Aosdána, which is by peer nomination and election, honours artists engaged in architecture, choreography, music, literature and the visual arts, who have produced a distinguished body of work.
In 2004, the categories of membership were extended to include architects and choreographers.
Aosdána was originally established in 1981 by the Arts Council to honour artists who have made an outstanding contribution to the arts in Ireland.
Members of Aosdána may avail, under certain conditions, of the Cnuas - an annual Arts Council stipend valued at €12,180 designed to enable the artists to devote their energies fully to their work.
Writer Glenn Patterson, playwright Billy Roche, photographer Amelia Stein and architect Shelley McNamara were also among those elected.
The twelve new members elected to Aosdána are:
Veronica Bolay, Visual Arts (visual artist)
Sean Fingleton, Visual Arts (visual artist)
Jaki Irvine, Visual Arts (visual artist)
Louis Lentin, Visual Arts (theatre, film and television director)
Dónal Lunny, Music (traditional music composer)
Eugene McCabe, Literature (storyteller and dramatist)
Shelley McNamara, Architecture (architect)
Dennis O'Driscoll, Literature (writer)
Glenn Patterson, Literature (writer)
Billy Roche, Literature (playwright)
Amelia Stein, Visual Arts (photographer)
Donald Teskey, Visual Arts (visual artist)
